Improvement in buttons



H. LINK.

BUTTON.

N0 93,726.v Patented Aug. 17, 1869.

V UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE.

HENRY .LINK,' 0F LITTLE FALLs', nEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN su'r'rous.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY. LINK, of Little Falls, in the county ofHerkimer and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Buttonand Stud; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in theart to make and use the same, reference beinghad to'the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1represents a central section of my improved button. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section of the same, taken on the plane of the line an as,Fig. '1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the button-shank.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. 7

This invention relates to an improvement in the methodof connecting theshank of a button or stud to the head or body of the same, so that thelatter cannot fall off spontaneously, while it may be removed at willwithout difficulty. Buttons of this class have been made in a variety ofways, but have generally been found impracticable, owing, chiefly, totheir complicated construction and the liability'of the parts to becomedisconnected spontaneously. An example of this is found in theapplication for a patent of F. I. Palmer, rejected July 13, 1866. Inthis case the under surface or back of the button is eoncavo-convex, andprovided with a rectangular opening for the admission of the head of theshank of corresponding shape. Within the button, and resting upon theback, is a small disk having an elevated center, and provided withdepressions which are adapted to fit over corresponding projectionsformed upon the back.

A spiral spring resting at one end against the raised upper surface ortop of the button, and with its opposite end upon the center of theplate, serves to hold the latter engaged with the depressions upon theback.

The operation of locking this button is as follows The head of the shankis passed through the back, andraises'the interior plate against thetensionof the spiral spring until said plate clears the depressions uponthe back. It is then revolved one-quarter round, togcther with theshank, until the head of the latter is at right angles t9 the opening inthe back, when the spring is released and forces the plate into positionoverthe n'c xt depres- -metal or other suitable material.

sions in the back. This construction is objeetionable, because the topof the button must always be raised a sufficient distance to enable theplate to clear the depressions in the back, and as the change of fashionmay require a flat button it is-evident that there would not besufiicient space between the top and back to accommodate this movement.If by accident 'the spring should be depressed, as by a sudden blow uponthe shank, the recoil would be liable to turn the plate sufficiently toallow the shank to fall out.

By my invention I propose to obviate these obj ections and to this end Iconstruct the button with a perfectly flat back and a top of anypreferred, shape. Within the button a flat plate is arranged,having-central openings for the admission of the arms of the shank,whichopenings correspond in shape to those in the back-generally X-shapcd.Upon one side of the plate a flat semicircular spring is attached to theinterior of the button in any preferred manner, with its free endsadapted to engage with notches formed in the periphery of the plate tohold the latter locked in the required position. \Vhen the head of theshank is introduced through the back, it is arrested by com ing incontact with the top. In this position the arms will clear the back butnot the interior plate, which latter is turned with the shank until thearms rest upon that portion of the back between the openings, 'in whichposition the ends of the spring'engage with the notches in the plate,securely holding the same in place, and with it the shank, By thisconstruction an accidental blow upon the shank will have no effectwhatever upon the spring, and cannot, therefore, disconnect the parts.

Moreover, the depth of't-he butt-on can be changed as fashion maydictate, because the arms upon the shank can be readily changed, beingmade either very wide or only of a width corresponding to the thicknessof the plate. The top of the button in all cases forms afirm bearing.for the end of the shank, and prevents its being casually displaced.

A in the drawings represents the hollow head or body of a button or studmade of sheet B is the shank or pin. The same has a shoulder, a, at itslower end, and four (or more or less) arms,

b I), projecting horizontally from its upper end.

The bottom 0 of the head A is perforated, the

aperture being so shaped that the arms b can fit through it. Within thehead Ais placed, upon the bottom 0, a plate, (I, which has an aperturecorresponding to that in the bottom c. The edge of the plate d isnotched, so that the ends of a spring or springs, 6, can be fitted intothe notches to hold the plate d stationary, as shown in Fig. 2. Beforethe shank is locked to the head, the aperture of the plate (I is exactlyin line with that of the bottom 0. The end of the pin B, carrying thearms I), can then be inserted in the head, as shown in Fig. 1, when thearms will clear the plate-0, but not the plate d, as shown. The pin B isthen turned, whereby the plate d is also turned until the ends of thespring 6 fit into the notches f. The arms of the aperture of (i willthen be at angles of about forty-five degrees to those through theplate-c, and the pin is therefore locked to the head by the spring 0. Itcannot become loose spontaneously, and the head 1 can consequently notdrop off and be lost. \Vhen the head is to be removed, the pin must beturned-until the arms b are again in line with the apertures of theplate 0. Then to be thus turned, suflicient force must be applied toovercome the pressure of the spn'ng. The spring may, however, ifdesiredfbe dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to seem reby Letters Patent- The flat notched plate 0 and the flat curved springe, constructed as described, and arranged to operate in connection withthe flat backed button and the-arms b of the shank, in the manner hereindescribed, for the purpose specified.

. HENRY LINK. Witnesses:

J OHN UHLB,

S. H. DE CAMP.

